Although Montréal, located in the Province of Québec is Canada's second largest city, this charming city is easy to walk and offers visitors much to discover with its rich history, culture, gastronomy, and attractions that are sure to please.

After spending several days discovering Québec City, Edward and I boarded a VIA Rail Canadatrain to discover the charm of Montréal. From the comfort of our first class seats we had the opportunity to experience the vastness of Canada, which is the second largest country in the world by land mass.

View from Train

During the 3.5-hour morning train ride to Montréal, we enjoyed a breakfast of a Mushroom and Smoked Cheddar Omelet with roasted red skin potatoes, turkey sausage and herb roasted eggplant, red pepper, zucchini and onions (Omelette aux champignons et au cheddar fume) and a Fresh Fruit Plate served with cereal and yogurt (Assiette de fruits frais accompagnée de cereals et de yogourt), while watching the changing landscape that alternated between large acreage farms and a few small towns along the way. We arrived in Montréal refreshed and ready to explore the city.

Although Québec City is the capital of the Province of Québec, population 491,000, Montréal, founded in 1642 and established in 1832, is the second largest Canadian city with 1.6 million, trailing Toronto, which has a population of 2.5 million. Yet despite its size, Montréal is very easy to navigate and walk, which is really the best way to explore its many neighborhoods that have their own distinct personalities.

We stayed at the Hôtel Le St-James in May 2009, a tiny gem with 61 total rooms (23 rooms and 37 suites) located in Vieux-Montréal (Old Montréal), which opened in 2002 in what was formerly the Merchants Bank.

Hôtel Le St-James

The property is architecturally stunning with rich details, and the hotel is filled with antiques and other interesting artwork that the owners purchased during their travels around the world that add to the Hôtel Le St-James' charming and prestigious ambience.

Hôtel Le St-James - Library

Guestrooms are opulently furnished and designed with guest comfort in mind, and the Hôtel Le St-James' many amenities include a comfortable Library with a wide selection of newspapers and books available for guests to enjoy, a Spa, XO Le Restaurant, and Afternoon Tea. The hotel's prestigious location on rue Saint-Jacques is perfectly located from which to explore the city, and is located 12 miles (20 km) from the Dorval International Airport.

From the convenient location of the Hôtel Le St-James we were able to walk and experience the city. There are numerous interesting museums and sights to visit in Montréal, and we experienced as many of them as possible.

We began by first exploring Old Montréal (Vieux-Montréal), making a stop at the BMO Groupe Financier, which was Canada's first bank founded in 1817, and is located down the street from the Hôtel Le St-James, and across from the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal.

Currency at BMO Groupe Financier

We visited the Musée de BMO Groupe Financier, housed in the Bank, which was built in 1847 in the neo-classical style. Small, yet interesting, the museum had old passbooks on display, a selection of currency, and other historical artifacts.

BMO Groupe Financier

The Musée de BMO Groupe Financier is open Monday - Friday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and is closed during non-banking hours. Admission is free.

A few of the many noteworthy details of the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal are the twin towers, the 10-bell carillon, the pulpit, the impressive stained glass windows, the altar, and the organs.

Basilique Notre-Dame Exterior

There is an admission fee that was introduced in 1999 to help defray the costs of conserving and restoring the building. No contribution is required, however, to attend mass, participate in other religious services or for personal prayer. Admission: Adults (18+): $5, Children (7- 17): $4, Children (6 and under): Free. The church is open for prayer daily from 7:30 am. Out of consideration for those taking part in religious worship, there are no guided tours between 4:00 PM on Saturday and 12:30 PM on Sunday afternoon. The church is open daily to visitors from Monday - Friday from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Saturday from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, and Sunday from 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm.

We also visited the Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier National Historic Site of Canada, which consists of two houses that were the former residences of Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier and his family from 1848-1872. The museum provides the history of Montréal and is a beautiful retrospective of the family's life with diaries, furniture, and other items in display.

Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier Display Items

The Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier National Historic Site of Canada is open daily from June - September from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, and from April - May, and September - December from Wednesday - Sunday from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. Admission: Adults (17-64): $3.90, Seniors (65+): $3.40, Youth (6-16): $1.90, Family/Group (up to 7 with maximum of 2 adults): $9.80.

Another museum highlight was the Musée de Château Ramezay (Château Ramezay Museum), aformermansion with French hand-carved mahogany, exquisite furnishings, a British Army uniform circa 1838, and period-dress docents who provide an interesting view into 18th century life with weaving and other demonstrations. In addition to their permanent collection, during our visit there was also a very nice exhibition, Le Grand Tour du Vélo (The Great Bike Tour runs until September 7, 2009), and the New French Style gardens (orchard, ornamental, and vegetable), surrounded by ivy covered stone walls, which were just beginning to come into bloom providing a delightful place to stop and relax and enjoy the ambience.

During our visit, there was a wonderful exhibition, "Pirates, Privateers and Freebooters" (runs until January 3, 2010), which provided insight into the history of pirates, including the story of the most notorious of the pirates, Blackbeard, as well as pirates equally interesting, but less well known, including the female pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonney who teamed up with the infamous Calico Jack.

The Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, built in 1771, also called the Sailors Church, is another beautiful church that we visited. Of interest on the exterior is the statue of the Virgin Mary facing the water, in the interior, the many miniature ships hanging from the ceiling that were gifts received from sailors asking for protection during their voyages.

Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours

Also of note are the stained glass windows depicting the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by D. Adolphe Beaulieu (1910), the painted ceiling, metal heart votive offerings, and the tomb of Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys, founder of Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours. You may also visit the interesting Musée Marguerite Bourgeoys on the premises.

Down the street from Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours is the Marché Bonsecours the former site of city hall until 1878, and designated as one of Canada's heritage sites; we enjoyed browsing through the many attractive Québec artisan and designer shops in the historic Classical Revival building that dates to 1847.

The Marché Bonsecours opens at 10:00 am and with varying closing hours according to the season. From April 1 - June 23, and September 5 - December 31, it is open Sunday - Thursday until 6:00 pm, and on Friday and Saturday until 9:00 pm; daily from June 24 - September 4 until 9:00 pm; and from January 1 - March 31, it is open daily until 6:00 pm.

For visitors who would like to know more about the history of Vieux-Montréal, Guidatour offers professional 90 minute Old Montréal Walking Tours, which depart in front of Notre Dame Basilica near the Boutique du Parvis. Tours are conducted in French (at 11:00 am) and in English (at 11:00 am and 1:30 pm). Tour Fees: Adults: $17.50, Seniors and Students: $15.50, Children (6-12): $8.50. Check their website for hours which may vary according to season.

We also experienced the attractive 12,000 square foot Scandinave Les Bains located in Vieux-Montréal, which opened in January 2009. The Scandinave Les Bains' vision is Sanitas Per Aquam "health through water" and provides locals and visitors with the opportunity to enjoy a healthful thermal bath experience, which is the first of its kind in the city. The experience includes dry and steam saunas, thermal water and plunge pools, relaxation rooms, and massages are also available. Scandinave Les Bains is open daily from 10:00 am - 10:00 pm with the exception of Christmas.

One of the best ways to experience and learn about the island of Montréal is from the water. We took a 60-minute cruise on the Saint Lawrence River aboard a Bateau-Mouche that is the same type of boat that gained acclaim in Paris that travels along the Seine.

Habitat 67

A few of the many highlights of the cruise included the dramatic Montréal skyline, Habitat 67, which areblock shaped apartments layered on top of one another that at the time were designed as affordable housing and today have skyrocketed in price to be exclusive condos; the 1922 Clock Tower that is a replica of Big Ben in London and is a memorial/lighthouse for all the sailors who died; passing under the Jacques-Cartier Bridge which has miniature Eiffel towers on each of its points; Saint-Heléne amusement park where the colorful roller coasters looked like contemporary art sculptures; the 1967 Olympic Stadium with its white tower; and since it was a sunny and clear day, we could see all the way to Mont Royal with its cross prominently visible.

Olympic Stadium 1922 Clock Tower

Le Bateau-Mouche offers a variety of cruises including 60 minute and 90 minute cruises, as well as dinner cruises. The 60-minute Day Tours run at 1:30 pm, 3:00 pm, and 4:30 pm. Prices and Schedules subject to change. Adults: $23.00 (plus taxes), Students and Seniors: (65+) $21.00, Children (6-16): $11.00, Children (0-5): Free, and Family: $54.00 (2 adults and 2 children, or 1 adult and 3 children).

We also enjoyed discovering at the Centre des Sciences de Montréal (Montréal Science Centre) where we saw the interesting IMAX presentation, "Agua - A Journey Into The World of Water" (Un Voyage au Coeur de L'Eau) created by the One Drop® Foundation, and we also experienced the many exhibitions.

Centre des Sciences de Montréal Located at the end of Boulevard Saint-Laurent (Pier King Edward)Montréal, (Québec), Canada Telephone:+1-514-496-4629 Toll-Free: +1-877-496-4724
Website: www.MontrealScienceCentre.com

Architecturally, the landscape of the city is a fascinating and eclectic mix of contemporary and historic buildings. One of the more interesting contemporary buildings is the Palais de Congrés de Montréal with its colorful façade. Nicknamed the "lifesaver building" it takes up an entire block and runs between Saint-Antoine and Av. Viger.

Palais de Congrés de Montréal

Across the street from the Palais de Congrés de Montréal, is Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, which features the artist Jean-Paul-Riopelle's large-scale sculpture and fountain, La Joute. We had seen an exhibition of Riopelle's work at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and were delighted to see La Joute on display in a public space.

Jean-Paul-Riopelle Fountain

Another wonderful museum that we visited was the Musée d'Art Contemporain, where we particularly enjoyed the photographic exhibition of 59 images by Robert Polidori taken between the years 1984 - 2007. His photographic detail showing the beauty and the decay of Versailles, as well the damage to New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina, were especially poignant. The Sculpture Garden was also very nice with its tranquil setting with ivy-covered walls, fountain, and lilacs that were in full bloom and lightly perfuming the garden.

The Musée d'Art Contemporain is open Tuesday - Sunday from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm, and Wednesday from 11:00 am - 9:00 pm. The museum is closed Mondays, with the exception of public holidays. Admission: Adults: $8.00. Seniors (60+): $6.00, Students (30 and under with Student ID): $4.00, Family: (maximum 4 persons including at least 1 adult with adolescents aged 12 to 17): $16.00, Children under 12 and members: Free, and Wednesday evenings from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Free.

Walking along rue Sherbrooke we saw the noteworthy statue of Queen Victoria dated 1895 that was created by her daughter, H.R.H. Princess Louise, who was a sculptor, in front of the Strathcona Music Building at the intersection of rue Sherbrooke and Union.

Queen Victoria Sculpture

Continuing on rue Sherbrooke, we visited the Musée McCord d'Histoire Canadienneand found the exhibition "Being Irish O'Québec" (runs until April 4, 2010) to be very informative with displays of Irish artifacts depicting its rich history, culture, music, dance, and religion.

Also of interest were the exhibitions, "Simply Montréal" and "Montréal Winter," highlighting the winter sports of snowshoeing, skiing, skating, and curling, with antique sports equipment, clothing, and even a sleigh on display.

However, it was the fashion exhibitions that captured my attention with 100 years of fashion from 1856 until the 1950s. A few of the fashion highlights included a black 2-piece bathing costume from 1920, bathing boots circa 1900, men's top hats, wedding dresses from 1856 and 1927, and women's dresses that ranged from the 1920s to 1950s.

Musée McCord d'Histoire Canadienne is open Tuesday - Friday from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Saturday - Sunday from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, and is open on Monday during the summer from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. Admission: Adults: $13.00, Seniors (65 and over with ID): $10.00, Students (full-time with ID): $7.00, Children (6 - 12): $5 .00, Children (5 and under) and members: free, Families (2 adults and 2 children 16 or under, or 1 adult and 3 children 16 or under): $26, and Free Admission the first Saturday of each month from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm.

McGill University, founded in 1821, is often referred to as "Canada's Harvard" as it is the oldest university in Canada. We walked through the pillared entrance on rue Sherbrooke Ouest and strolled the beautiful grounds. Musée Redpath (Redpath Museum), on the grounds of McGill University, is also interesting. The museum is open Monday - Friday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Sunday from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm, and is closed on Saturday. Admission is free.

Musée Redpath

We also made a stop at Holt Renfrew on rue Sherbrooke Ouest, which is the place for upscale shopping. Major designers and an attractive setting have made the department store a favorite with locals as well as tourists. The store is open Monday - Wednesday from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Thursday - Friday from 10:00 am - 9:00 pm, Saturday from 9:30 am - 6:00 pm, and Sunday from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm.

During our visit, there was a fascinating exhibition, "Imagine" on the lives of John Lennon and Yoko Ono to commemorate the 40th anniversary of their famous visit to Montréal where they held a "bed-in" at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel and wrote the legendary song, "Give Peace a Chance" with a who's who participating on the song that included Timothy Leary, singer Petula Clark, Tommy Smothers, and Hare Krishna drummers, which was recorded on June 1, 1969.

Debra Experiencing Art at Musée des Beaux-Arts

We also saw a wonderful exhibition on Napoléon from the collection of Ben Wieder, featuring an impressive collection of his paintings, porcelain, silver, clocks, furniture, and clothing.

For visitors seeking a little adventure in their lives, the city has instituted a special bicycle rental program where for the price of $5.00, you can rent a bicycle for 24-hours. There are bicycle locations throughout the city and you may pick-up and return the bicycles at any of them.

Debra Checking out Bike Rental

The culinary scene in Montréal offers visitors great diversity and options that range from casual cafés to elegant fine dining restaurants. We had an excellent lunch at the trendy Cavalli Ristorante & Bar located on bustling Peel Street where the ambience is contemporary and the food is well executed.

We had a gastronomically exciting five-course dinner at the elegant fine dining restaurant, Nuances léveil des sens, located at the Casino du Montréal where Chef Jean-Pierre Curtat's culinary focus is to "awaken the senses." Spectacular views of the St. Lawrence River from the wall of windows and attentive service by the all-Sommelier waitstaff add to the overall appeal of the restaurant.

A few of the many culinary highlights of our dinner included the Amuse Bouche of Chilean sea bass with puree of asparagus, tomato compote, and lime; Lobster with milk and coffee emulsion, chow mein noodles, seafood gastrique, and Sauvignon cappuccino jelly; and Pan-seared foie gras with Asian pear chutney, jellied honey and mead white wine sauce.

Nuances Foie Gras

Nuances léveil des sens is open for dinner Sunday - Friday from 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm, and on Saturday from 5:30 pm until 11:00 pm.

Nuances Dining Room

Read about Nuances léveil des sens in the Restaurants section, and Chefs' Recipes section where Executive Chef Jean-Pierre Curtat shares a delicious taste of the restaurant in English and in French.

We also had an excellent dinner at the historic Le Saint-Gabriel, located at the Auberge Saint-Gabriel, which holds the distinction that it was the oldest inn in North America. Although the name Auberge (Inn) remains in its name, today Le Saint-Gabriel is only a restaurant. Le Saint-Gabriel also has the distinction of receiving the first alcohol license from the British in 1754. As appropriate, Le Saint-Gabriel has an excellent cocktail menu, which of course, we sampled. Stonewalls, wood beamed ceilings, wood burning fireplaces, and antiques add to the overall charm of the restaurant.

Auberge Le Saint- Gabriel

Executive Chef Jean-Marc Mathieu's menu features French and traditional Québécois recipes complemented by a large international wine menu with wine available by the bottle as well as by the glass, and there is an attentive waitstaff.

Montréal offers a unique experience for visitors during any season, and has a number of interesting festivals throughout the year including the Just for Laughs Festival, Montréal Chamber Music Festival, International Jazz Festival, International Pop Music Festival, and much more. No matter when you choose to visit Montréal, there is much to discover in Canada's second largest city.

Have a Fashionable Ride Through Montréal

Important Information for Montréal:

The currency of Canada is the Canadian Dollar (CAD). As of May 2009, the exchange rate was 1 US Dollar (USD) to 1 Canadian Dollar to 1.17 Canadian Dollar (CAD), 1 (EUR) to 1.59 Canadian Dollar (CAD). The Canadian Dollar is divided into 100 cents, with coin denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 1 dollar, and 2 dollar; bank note denominations are: 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 dollars.

Electricity is 110 volts/60 cycles, which is used throughout North America. Bring a converter if your appliances do not have dual voltage and plug adapters if traveling from outside North America.

Montréal, Canada

French is the official language of Montréal, and while many people speak English, it is always helpful to have some basic language knowledge when traveling.